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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com